I would recommend this book for readers in grades 7-12. The book is written at an eighth grade level and includes some adult language. The themes in the book are also more mature and complex than those in Smile. However, like Smile, King of the Mild Frontier deals with growing up, handling emotions, and finding oneself. It is also an autobiography, in which each chapter represents a memoir in the life of Crutcher. Once students have learned about the basic characteristics and format of a memoir from Smile, they will be ready to move on the more sophisticated writing of Crutcher’s book.